


All My Heroes

by dsakitad



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Mutant Powers, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-07-15 06:07:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16057124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsakitad/pseuds/dsakitad
Summary: Cece has been gifted with some marvelous powers that just may come in handy for the Avengers. She wants nothing more than to help as many people as she can…without ending up in a lab herself. When she gets recruited by the team, she finds that she can finally do what she wants without having to look over her shoulder at every turn. Only along the way, she catches the feels for a certain Captain. Takes place after Civil War.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This starts at the end of Civil War. The goal of this story is to fix the mistakes of Infinity War, because there's no reason why our hearts needed to be ripped out of our chests.  
> There are Civil War spoilers.

Steve Rogers was feeling substantial amounts of guilt. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for what happened to Rhodey. Although Steve wasn’t the one who had sent the blast that paralyzed the Colonel, he knew that it would not have happened if he had signed those damn accords. No, he didn’t regret not signing them…he knew he did the right thing by following what he believed. What he wasn’t okay with (nor prepared for) were the severe consequences. Hadn’t they already lost enough?  
“Steve?”

Steve looked up from his lap to the troubled eyes of his lifelong friend…a friend he never thought he would have again. “Yes, Buck?”  
“You’re thinking about what Nat told you about Colonel Rhodes, aren’t you, Punk?” The nickname came second nature from the assassin, but it did manage to bring a weak smile to the Captain’s lips. There weren’t words that could explain what it was like to have his ‘Till the end of the Line’ bud back, even if it’s been 70 years.   
James “Bucky” Barnes took his friend’s silence as a sign his assumption was correct. He personally didn’t feel too torn up over the casualty because that is what happened in the war, look at his own arm. But that didn’t mean that Steve would see it the same way. His moral compass always was the stronger one of the two. Bucky did things because he was expected to, but Steve’s actions were driven by a need to make the world a better place. If there was a way to check, Bucky would bet his right arm that Steve didn’t have a selfish bone in his body.   
Quickly checking their surroundings to make sure they were alone and once satisfied, Bucky stood over Steve with his arms crossed over his chest. “Have I told you yet how I was able to get free from Hydra’s control over my body?”  
Out of anything that Bucky could have said, that was one of the last things Steve had expected to come out of his mouth. “Sheer power and determination?” It may have sounded like a sarcastic answer, but it wasn’t. It was just the best answer that automatically filled the blanks in his head.   
Bucky chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “No. Hydra has a way of breaking the human spirit beyond repair. Not even God himself could have broken the control.”  
That didn’t make sense, Steve thought to himself. His thoughts must have been transferred to the look on his face because Bucky gave him a sympathetic smile before grabbing a cheaply made plastic chair to sit backward in. Resting his arms over the back, he leaned forward a little bit, as if he was about to tell a secret. “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t God. It was someone who has the power to alter the connections in your body, whether that’s to fix or mutilate.”  
Steve felt confused. That sounded like an incredibly dangerous person who should be found and dealt with before they went off the deep end and took out everyone within a 100-mile radius. “How’s that even possible, Buck? What does this person have to do with you gaining control over your own actions?”  
“It has everything to do with how I regained control over my own body and mind,” Bucky answered patiently, his eyes going out of focus, clearly remembering the past. “She found me while I was on a mission in Botswana. Apparently, she was making her rounds around random villages in Africa, wanting to help those who couldn’t get any from anywhere else or couldn’t afford it.”  
Steve furrowed his brow, crossing his arms over his chest and leaned back in the creaky chair. For a second, he thought the back was going to break and his stomach dropped before he immediately recalibrated and sat up straight, hands resting on his knees. “Doctors Without Borders then?” he questioned, trying to keep on top of the story.  
Bucky snorted, clearly amused by Steve’s question. “God no. They would be so lucky to have such a person in their ranks. No, this woman Steve, she keeps to herself for her own protection. If word got out about her abilities, she would be taken hostage and used until she killed herself from exertion or was killed for not complying to another’s orders. She doesn’t take too kindly to being ordered around. It’s kind of funny actually, seeing this 5’3 dame give a 6’4 man sass and put them in their place.”

“You’re obviously very fond of her,” Steve mused, stroking his chin in thought trying to picture this woman in his mind.  
Bucky had an easy-going smile on his face as he remembered the woman who saved him from himself. “She’s an angel,” he agreed, not even having to think about it. “I was at a safe house in Botswana when she came across me. She said that the amount of damage done to my mind was nearly palpable. So she somehow managed to knock me, a highly-trained assassin, out and dragged me to her place of residence. She didn’t have much, just a small room with a bed and a backpack with scrubs and some other clothes that were appropriate for the area. With essentially no resources, she was able to get into my head and removed every single piece of shit that Hydra had put in me. Not even my trigger words would work-”  
“Then how come you were triggered when Zemo spoke them to you?”   
“Acting, Steve,” Bucky was patient as ever, not minding that his story was once again interrupted. “We would have never know what he was planning unless he thought that I had….reverted, for lack of a better term, back to the empty slate of my mind.”   
Steve nodded thoughtfully at this information, impressed with how far his friend would go to see a mission through to the end. “So she is able to clear someone’s mind of mental blocks, or does it go further than that?”  
“So much more. More than either you or myself could ever comprehend.” His dark eyes drifted towards the ceiling, bringing the memories of their conversations to the forefront of his mind. “When I asked, she said that she could literally see all the different connections in your body, whether that’s the blood vessels, nerves or in my case, the neurons in my brain. Not only does she seem them, but she knows how every single connection is supposed to look and work and she can alter any part of those connections with little more than a thought. If I had to guess, I would say it goes even deeper than that.”  
Steve shifted uncomfortably in his chair, feeling once again nervous having someone so powerful running around without any sort of check and/or balances. “Do you know if she ever-“  
Bucky held up a hand, effectively cutting the Captain off. “She’s not a danger to anyone. She would never, not even unintentionally, hurt someone. She took an oath a long time ago to do no harm.” He gently placed his hand over Steve’s thigh, cutting off Steve’s thought. “She only wants two things in this life. She wants to help those she is able to and not be caught. She took a huge risk in helping me, especially if Hydra caught word of someone who was able to take advantage of those connections.”  
After a quiet moment of thought, Steve spoke up. “How do we find her?”


	2. Chapter One

On the other side of the world in a small tribe in Tanzania, was a woman chasing children around an open field.

“Miss Cece! Come catch me!” a young boy yelled, running in the opposite direction.

Despite having been at this game for well over thirty minutes in the hot humid weather, Cecelia managed to keep a smile on her face as she ran around, trying to keep up with the children’s endless energy.

It wasn’t often that she could act in such a carefree manner.  Usually, she had to stay alert and on her toes to make sure her secrets were protected.  She could never stay in one place for too long without gaining suspicion of how people around her, who were on the previously sick, were now magically healed.  This is why she liked to travel among the small villages because word of her existence never went far.  Also, it wasn’t like the people she was helping out here were going to go out and tell others of the mysterious woman.  Not like when she decided to visit Russia.  As soon as she helped rid a 73-year-old man of a brain aneurysm that hadn’t ruptured yet, word of her had spread throughout the country within 72 hours.

She was lucky to have been in this village for the last three weeks.  By this point in time, she had already helped anyone who needed and wanted it.  She was set to leave the following morning to the next village but did allow herself one final day to just enjoy life.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders, making her realize that she had stopped running around and was standing stationary, eyes mindlessly looking at the grassy plains.  She glanced down to see that it was Michael, her older brother that traveled with her as her “protection”.  Her parents were nervous to have her going out by herself, but when her ex-marine brother offered to accompany her, they were less worried about her getting into trouble.

A quick glance around made her realize that the children that had been out there were now gone.   _Just how long have I been lost in my thoughts,_ she thought idly to herself.

“Just a heads up that a quinjet is arriving,” Michael told her, pointing to the east.  “I haven’t told you because I wanted it to be a surprise, but an old friend is paying a visit.”  His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at her.  Unlike her, he was tanned from hours of being out in the sun, day in and day out.  For her, it didn’t matter how much time she spent out in the sun, she would always ridiculously pale (or at least in her mind).  Michael also had a good 6 inches on her own 5’3 stature.  His dark red hair was cut in the standard military fashion whereas hers, when free, hung in curls of deep red, down to the middle of her back.  However, she usually had it tied up in a messy top-knot to keep it out of her face.  Also similar to Michael were her deep green eyes that often reminded her of emeralds.  Those eyes were usually the first thing people noticed about them.

“I wonder who it is,” she thought out loud, stepping away from her brothers embrace, lifting her arm to shield her eyes from the powerful winds that came off from the jet as it touched down on the ground.  Of course, she had a guess as to who was on the jet because not many people had access to that kind of aircraft, but she wasn’t one to assume things.

As soon as the engine were powered down, Cece stepped forward, her brother shadowing her, to greet the pair of men who were climbing out of the back.

When Cece’s eyes fell on a familiar figure, she couldn’t help but run up for him, launching herself into his arms.  Bucky, having expected this reaction from the eccentric woman, was quick to catch her, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Well, as I live and breathe! Sergeant Barnes, it’s great to see you!”

Bucky pulled away, scowling at the word sergeant, releasing the woman to allow her to slide back to the ground. “ _Doctor Thompson_ , you know you should call me Bucky.”

Though his face showed he was mildly irritated with her antics, she knew it was nothing but a show for the tall…strong…handso-

Cece shook her head, trying to rid it of the thoughts she was having about Bucky’s best friend. Though she had never met Steve Rogers before, she knew of him from Bucky’s stories.   She also knew better than to judge the first impression of someone on their physical appearance, especially when she looks a mess half the time herself.  She knew she was supposed to judge based on character, but damn if this man wasn’t carved by God himself.

“ _Sergeant Bucky_ , you know to call me Cece,” she sassed right back, giving Michael a wink when he scoffed at her, used to her teasing ways.  Her eyes trailed back to the blond man, offering him a welcoming smile.  “You must be Steve Rogers.”

The man blushed when she acknowledged him, not knowing what to expect when meeting this woman and was clearly surprised at how… bold this woman was.  He would have never guessed that someone could act so casual around himself and the Winter Soldier.  Most people were intimidated by their presence alone. But this woman, she acted informally around them…and it was refreshing.

Bucky threw an elbow into Steve’s ribs, causing him to grunt on impact.  That’s when Steve realized that he was staring and the woman was holding her hand out for him to take.  He quickly grabbed her small and in his own, shaking it earnestly, blushing as he did so.  “Dr. Cecelia,” he acknowledged with a nod of his head.  The man that stood close behind her was watching him with calculating eyes and a small glare.  He cleared his throat making Steve realize that he was still holding onto the woman’s hand, which he promptly let go of, his hand immediately going to rub the back of his neck in a nervous manner.  

Bucky was watching the interaction with amusement.  To him, it would never get old seeing Steve get flustered over a pretty dame.  Reminded him of a different time. “Steve, this guy hovering behind Cece is her elder brother, Michael Thompson.  He’s ex-military like us.”

Michael grunted when Bucky introduced him, forcing himself to keep a smile off of his face.  On the inside, he was secretly fangirling over meeting the Captain America who had been his favorite hero since he was and saw his first Captain America cartoon.

Cece, knowing this, smirked over her shoulder at him, causing him to scowl at her.  In turn, she smiled sweetly at him before turning her attention to the two newcomers.  “Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I could use a drink to cool down from this humidity.  Then you,” she directed her gaze to Bucky, “can tell me what brings you here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave feedback! I live off of that!
> 
> You can find this originally posted on Tumblr @ds-akita-d


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky explain why they are visiting.

“Pardon the lack of…everything,” Cece called over her shoulder to the two men following her into the temporary home. “We’ve only been here,” she paused, trying to remember. She looked to Michael, “Six days?” It came out as more of a question.

Her brother rolled his eyes at her memory. “It’s been twenty-two days,” he corrected, moving to the makeshift counter and pulling out four glasses.

Cece flushed. She may be smart, but when it came to keeping track of time…well, that was one reason to keep her lug-head of a brother around. “Right. I take it back. I’m too lazy to unpack.”

Bucky let out a laugh and nudged her playfully. “Sounds about right.”

Steve dutifully followed the eccentric woman and paused inside the doorway, taking in the space.

Small wasn’t an exaggeration when it came to describing the hut. It was ten foot long and eight foot wide. The walls that were made from clay were painted a bright yellow, reflecting the light that streamed in through the windows on the west wall. There were two cots laid next to each other with well-loved quilts covering them, no pillows. The makeshift counter that held various pots, plates, glasses, and silverware was made from an old wooden door. Next to the counter was a large cooler where Steve assumed perishables were stored. He’d even guess that they use it for food storage to keep predators out of their supply. But what stood out to Steve was that this was obviously just a place for them to eat and sleep. There was no living here.

“You must move around a lot,” Steve commented as Cecelia handed him a glass of water.

He doesn’t miss how her eyes flick to Bucky nervously, unsure how much he may have shared.

“You can trust Steve,” Bucky encouraged, moving to lean you against the wall. He casually crossed his arms and leaned all of his weight to one side, ankles crossed. Cece had to suppress a laugh because she always thought that in another life, James Buchanan Barnes was a model.

Instead, she nodded and turned her attention back to Steve. “I’m not sure how much James told you about my gifts,” she ignored Bucky whining about calling him by his given name, “but staying in one place too long has proven to be…a challenge. People want to control what I have or would prefer to have me kept under lock and key so they could study me. Since I am neither property, prisoner, or test subject, I have to move every few weeks or so.” She nodded her head towards Michael who was pulling out things to make dinner with. “That’s another reason why he follows me around. I’m ‘just a feeble young lady who can’t fight off a squirrel’, so now I have a shadow.” Her voice deepened, mocking how presumably Michael would sound when she mentioned how ‘feeble’ she was. Cece took a drink of water before contenting, rolling her eyes. “Of course, it doesn’t matter that I can incapacitate anyone with just a thought, but that’s not something I can use in my argument apparently.”

Michael grunted from his spot, measuring out some powdery substance into a pan. “Unless they catch you unaware.”

Cece just laughed and shrugged her shoulders, giving Steve a ‘what can you do’ look.

Steve idly wondered if something had happened in her past or if she was just cautious. He made a mental note to ask later.

“Anywho,” Cece continued, setting her glass back on the counter and looked between Bucky and Steve. “I can go more into that later. Why don’t you two knuckleheads tell me what brings you in.”

Steve couldn’t keep the shock off of his face at being called knucklehead. He turned to Bucky to see what his reaction was, but his best friend let out a carefree laugh, not at all offended. Steve couldn’t remember the last time he saw Bucky so relaxed. It had to have been before the war. He was starting to wonder if there was more to this Cecelia than Bucky was aware of. He had to be cautious around her until he could make his own judgments.

He cleared his throat, calling attention to him. “Bucky mentioned that you might be able to help a….friend.” He felt awkward saying it aloud, just realizing that he would have to explain what had happened. How a man was now partially paralyzed because of him.

Bucky noticed the shift in Steve’s mood and gives him a sympathetic look. “I can explain if you would prefer,” he offered, wanting to alleviate some of Steve’s stress.

Steve adamantly shook his head. “No, I can do it. I should do it.” He turned his attention back to the small woman in front of him. “There was a fight and a good friend of mine was caught in the crossfire, leaving him with partial paralysis.” He paused, trying to think of how much he wanted to divulge about Tony and the resources that surely would have been made available for Rhodey  
“And you’re wondering if I can fix your friend?” Cece asked intuitively. There was a tangible shift in her mood, more serious now than playful. This was Dr. Thompson. “Do you know what kind of treatment options he may have already been offered?”

Steve was surprised that she didn’t ask about what his injuries were, but answered her. “I don’t know for sure,” he admitted, “I only know that Tony would do his damn best to make sure Rhodey got the best care possible. No amount of funding would be an issue.”

She waved her hand at that. “People who are surgeons and need money to guide them to their next job aren’t my favorite.” Her thoughts flashed to some asshole Doctor in New York who only took patients if they were ‘interesting’ enough, but also had a chance of success. Sure, he was good at what he did, but still….what an ass. “Rhodes is the guy who was injured?” she asked for clarification. “As in, Colonel James Rhodes of the Air Force and best friends with philanthropist Tony Stark?”

She threw her head back and laughed at the look of surprise on the Captain’s face, giving him a faux-sympathetic look and patted his shoulder in comfort. “I might live in Africa, but I don’t live under a rock.” She switched back from Doctor Thompson to Cecelia with an ease that caused more surprise. Steve wasn’t able to switch back and forth from Captain America to Steve Rogers like that. He wasn’t even sure he knew who Steve Rogers was anymore. Now wasn’t the time to think about that, though.

“Good to know,” he replied, unsure of what the proper response would be.

“Soup’s up.” Michael shoved a hot bowl into Steve’s chest that he caught with his hands. He chose to ignore the hostility directed at him. He was a stranger after all.

Cece wasn’t having it though and smacked her brother upside the head. “Knock it off,” she scolds. “Quit being a pansy and just admit that you’re secretly fangirling over having your childhood hero under the same roof as you.”

Steve was sure he was just as red as Michael looked.

“Shuddup,” Michael muttered under his breath, turning to get another bowl that he politely handed to Bucky and then gifted his sister with one before gathering up his own.

Cece looked back to Steve with a smug grin and Steve’s heart skipped in his chest. Was he dying? He diverted his gaze from the siblings and poked at the mush in his hands, unsure of what it was.

“It’s ugali,” Cece explained, noticing his aversion to the unfamiliar food. “Usually describe as cornmeal mush. Doesn’t look too good, but tastes great and is quite filling.” She took a bite of the _ugali_ and let out a quiet pleased moan, playing on how good it tasted. Steve raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, but took a bite himself and was surprised that it was actually half decent. Satisfied that he would survive the new experience, she continued.

“As long as you promise that Tony Stark doesn’t blow me away in the literal sense or turn me into some science experiment, I’m willing to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave feedback! I live off of that!
> 
> You can find this originally posted on Tumblr @ds-akita-d
> 
> Also, I’m going to take a temporary leave from working on “One Touch” because…well, I just lost my Aunt to a drunk driver yesterday afternoon and the next part of One Touch revolves around explaining what happened in the readers own accident and it’s too hard for me to write that right now. SO please forgive me and be patient. I promise I’m not dropping the story, but it will be a week or so before there’s any continuation on it.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve catches a peek at Bucky's (new) personality and also gets some insight on Cecelia's gifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is welcomed and appreciated as always!

After Cecelia agreed to help Colonel Rhodes, she was quick to change the subject, wanting to avoid her brother’s protests. She would have to speak to him later.

“Remind me never to ride the Cyclone with you,” she managed to wheeze out in-between laughs, wiping the back of her hand against her eyes to dry the tears of laughter. “Doesn’t sound like a pleasant experience.”

Steve blushed and spoke defensively, “In all fairness, I was much smaller and frailer than I am now.”

“Same stomach,” Cece sassed.

Bucky barked out a laugh and smacked Steve on the back. “She’s got you there, punk!”

Steve’s face burned hotter. “Jerk.”

The fun was interrupted by a knocking at the door.

Everyone in the room tensed.

Michael got up from his cot where he was previously reading a book and ignoring the group and walked to the door and cracked it open to peek out. When he recognized the person on the other side, the tension left his person as he listened to what they had to say. A few seconds later, he turned to Bucky with a smile. He opened the door further to reveal a group of four children that were huddled together, whispering and shoving each other playfully.

“The village children saw your arm and are wondering if you’ll come out and play with them.”

Steve stiffened and gave Bucky a sideways look, unsure how his friend would be with this. His blue eyes flicked over to Cece and saw she was trying to cover a smile. Looking back to Bucky, he was surprised (for the nth time of the day) to see an excited smile.

_Who were these people?_

“No problem. Tell them the White Wolf is on his way.” Bucky jumped up from his makeshift seat on the cooler and reached up towards the ceiling, stretching out his back. He turned to Cece and gave her a wink. “You know how much I love kids.”

She giggled gleefully. “Very true. Those poor children you left behind were so heartbroken when their friend left.” She turned to look at Steve. “When we first met, he was a bit of a dick, but once I was able to get all that Hydra shit out of his head, he became a marshmallow. The children in the village took to him like bees to honey and the legend of the White Wolf came about,” she explained. She paused and gave a thoughtful look, amusement dancing behind her green eyes.  “Well, that and the time he scared off the sex traffickers from the village…if not, the whole country.”

Steve gaped at the women in disbelief. “You’re kidding.”

Bucky landed a heavy metal hand on Steve’s shoulder. “She’s right. I am a softie.”

Steve shook his head, still not believing it. He knew the Bucky before the war was a softie, but since reuniting after decades of being Hydra’s pawn, he seemed….broodier. 

Bucky was intuitive though and knew what Steve was thinking, his smile leaving his face as he looked at Steve seriously. “I’m not the Bucky from 1940….and I will never be him again. And though Cecelia has taken all that gunk from me, the memories of every single person whose life I’ve destroyed will never leave me.” He let that hang heavily in the air for a moment. Then that carefree smile broke out again, “But it’ll be okay. I’m okay.”

Cece sat silently, watching the exchange carefully, but remained silent.

A chorus of young voice sang from outside the hut, “WHITE WOLF!!!!!”

Bucky gave Cece and Steve a sheepish look. “Well, duty calls. You two can do dishes.” With that, he left the hut, dragging Michael along with him.

She missed the suggestive look that Bucky gave Steve.

An awkward silence settled between the two, Cece looking down at her hands and Steve watching the door his best bud just walked out of.

It was Cece who spoke up first.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but why do today what you can put off to tomorrow.” She gave him a mischievous smile.

In return, he looked at her confused. “What?” he asked dumbly, not following.

The woman rolled her eyes at him and stood up. She walked two steps so she was in front of him and held out her hand for him to take. “Let’s ditch responsibilities and find a tree to climb.”

 

* * *

Steve wasn’t sure if she was serious about the tree part, but sure enough, he found himself standing at the bottom of a tree, looking up to the woman who had already climbed to the top. His heart was racing and he was tense, just waiting for her to fall.

“This is an Albizia Schimperiana,” she had explained when they came upon the tree, laying a palm on the trunk. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, an easy smile breaking across her rosy lips. “Native to farming areas because of the rich nutrients in the soil.”

“I thought you were a neurosurgeon,” Steve dumbly commented. He was flustered, frustrated with himself because he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so….strange around another person.

Cece chuckled, her eyes opening as she stared at him with her forest green irises. “I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good tree every once in a while.” She ran her hand up and down the rough bark, savoring the feeling under her palm. “This tree has been here for 74 years. It’s seen a lot. But…it appreciates when people come by and use it’s shade or clear dead branches or just….sit with it.”

Steve gave her an appraising look. “You can talk to trees?” he asked incredulously. Not for the first time, he wondered exactly what power _Doctor_ Cecelia Thompson had. 

She rolled her eyes at him and held out her other hand. “May I?” she asked, nodding towards his own hand.

Reluctantly, he gave his hand to her and she pressed it against the shockingly cool bark and then placed both of her hands over his. He couldn’t hide the blush that covered his cheeks and ears at being so close to her. He was close enough to smell her lavender mint shampoo and he could see it becoming addicting.

His mind abruptly exploded with hundreds of thousands of snippets of information…all revolving around this three. He could see where each root was positioned in the soil under his feet. He could see memories of natives using the tree for refuge from the hot African sun. He could see how the tree felt sad when no one came by for days. He could feel how useful it felt when it could provide for others.

Before he could get too overwhelmed with the incoming information, he ripped his hand away from the three and held it to his chest, panicked ocean blue eyes meeting green.

“What the fuck was that?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr @ds-akita-d


	5. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve learns more about Cece.

“What the fuck was that!?” Steve yelled in piqued surprise and took a big step away from the petite woman, needing distance. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his breathing coming out ragged, his hand still clutched in his chest.

Cecelia winced at his outburst and visibly recoiled in on herself. Her green eyes watered and she gave him an apologetic look. “I’m so  _ so _ sorry,” she tried, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt ill at having startled the Captain so harshly. “I should have warned you. I just…I don’t.” She squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears in. “I’m sorry.”

With that final apology, she took off up the tree, leaving Steve at the bottom to look up at her, shocked at how quickly she climbed.

Regret flooded through him then and he realized that he overreacted.

He stepped back towards the tree and reached his hand out, hesitating before placing it on the trunk. There was no overwhelming feedback this time and he let out a small sigh of relief. He then leaned his torso against the body of the tree and looked up through the branches to locate the elusive Cecelia Thompson.

“Cecelia?” he called, blue eyes searching every branch. His eyes locked onto her form at the top of the tree.

She was laying, her back resting on the branch, legs dangling down on either side. Even from his spot, he could see that she wasn’t afraid of falling. He listened to see if she was crying and was relieved when she wasn’t.

“It’s Cece,” she shouted back down, face facing the sky.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat at her voice, secretly relieved that she wasn’t going to ignore him. “Please come down!” he hollered up to her. “I’m sorry I reacted so negatively. I was just surprised!”

He could hear a deep sigh escape from her lips. She then hooked her legs around the branch and leaned over so she was hanging upside down, grabbing the next branch below and lowered her body down. Steve was amazed at the amount of strength it took to execute such controlled movements. Cece continued to climb her way down the tree until she was on the lowest branch, eye level with Steve.

Steve offered her a hand to help her down, but she shook her head at him, alternatively, laid down on her stomach on the branch. “I’m going to just hang out here if that’s okay.” He could see the worry behind her eyes at his potential rejection and that guilt pressed at his heart. He realized that she probably didn’t open up to people that often, let alone those she just met and he fucking blew it.

He tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I really mucked that up, didn’t I?”

He almost expected her to giggle at his question, but instead, she shook her head in negation, eyes closing once again. The guilt clutched at him over again and Steve longed to see her emerald eyes….to convey his own sincerity, of course.

“It’s my fault,” Cece’s voice broke through, bringing Steve back to the moment. “I should have warned you about that…or maybe just not have done it at all.” She pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes and groaned. “Gods I’m so stupid! I just need to use my words. Words!” she reprimanded herself, shaking her head.

Steve was quick to reach out, grasping her hands in his. Her eyes popped open and she looked at him not in surprise, but with interest.    

Realizing what he was doing, he dropped her hands, flushing bright red. He gave her a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have grabbed you without your permission.” He stuffed his hands back into his pockets and made eye contact with her. “But…let’s come to a compromise. Next time you want to show me something like that,” he nods towards the trunk of the tree, “you give me a heads up so I can prepare myself for a sensory overload.” He offered her a smile, waiting to see if he would get one in return.

His heart skipped again when a small smile graced her rosy lips. He really needed to get checked out.

“Fair enough,” she agreed, biting her bottom lip.

Silence hung between the two of them for a moment. They were waiting to see who would break first.

Steve’s curiosity won out. “Two questions,” he started, giving off an apprehensive laugh. “You said ‘gods’ earlier. Is there a reason for that?”

This time, she let out a real laugh. “Would you believe me if I say that I’m friends with Loki? We met some time ago and he likes to curse his ancestors a lot and it may have rubbed off on me.”

Steve blinked, unsure how to respond to that. “You…you’re friends with the guy who tried to take over the world?” he asked incredulously.

Cece let out a small sigh, all signs of happiness vanishing. “I’ll be honest, Steve, I don’t know what happened there. He may be more inclined to mischief, but this is different. That’s not the Loki I know.”

A shiver goes down Steve’s spine when he heard her say his name, but he tried to ignore it. Instead, he asked, “You speak as if you’ve known him a long time. But you can’t be more than what, twenty-five?” He looks her form up and down, and nods, agreeing with his own assessment. He then blushed, realizing that he essentially just checked her out. Internally, he was panicking, praying that she did notice.

She lets out a ~~cute~~ snort. “Appearances can be deceptive, Steven. You of all people should know that. I’m actually 62. ALMOST 63. You know, because that ‘almost’ matters.” She glanced over toward Steve and laughed at the surprised expression on his face. “What, you think you’re the only one who can stay young forever?” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. “How rude!”

Steve shook his head to clear his racing thoughts and leaned towards her in interest. “You mean to tell me that you don’t age? Or you just age very, VERY slowly?”

She nodded, “I haven’t aged since..well, if I had to guess, 1979?” She shrugged indifferently. “No one of my family has aged past 24, 25.”

His jaw dropped but was quick to close it. “So wait, do  _ they _ have gifts?”

Cece sat up abruptly, her eyes scanning the area around them. After a moment, she turned her attention back to Steve. “You said you had two questions,” she reminded him, changing the subject.

Steve caught on to what she was doing but allowed it. “Oh yeah, my other question was more about the specifics of your abilities. Bucky explained it a little to me, but what you showed me was more than I had imagined. And it wasn’t even a person. Can you do that will any living thing? How does that play into your ability to manipulate connections? And what about removing Hydra’s control over Bucky?”

The woman rolled her eyes at him and held up a hand, stopping his list of questions. “That’s a lot of curiosity you have there, uh?” she teased, swinging her legs over to one side, placing her hands on either side of her and leaned forward, getting close to Steve’s face. “Are you always so…intuitive?” she whispered, eyes flickering to his lips before meeting his blue eyes again.

Steve gulped, the air around him feeling thicker. “I-uh….what?”

Cece gave him a satisfied smirk and leaned back, clucking her tongue at him. “You’re too cute,” she cooed. “But, to answer your questions simply. I can see, if I so choose, all of the connections inside any organic being. Beyond that, with just a glance, I know exactly what the purpose of that connection is and how it is supposed to function. With my studies to become a doctor, I know what belongs and what doesn’t, such as tumors. But when I touch,” she caressed her hand over the coarse bark, “I catch glimpses of memories. It comes to me all at once and it took…awhile to be able to get a good handle of it. As you know, it can be overwhelming.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry about that again. I’m used to it and didn’t think.”

Steve was listening intently. He waved her apology off and nodded for her to continue. “How was I able to see that?”

She shrugged. “I can’t explain how or why. All I know is that touch can be a powerful thing.” She gave him a wink and he blushed again. Her grin widened at his embarrassment and she continued animatedly. “As for Bucky, there are some cases where I can see…well, I would describe it as black goo seeping in every crevice in a person’s mind. I could spot it on him a mile away. It wasn’t natural and I could feel how toxic and overall consuming it was. So, I kidnapped him.” She gave a fond smile at the memory. “That’s easily one of my greatest accomplishments. How many people do you know can take out The Winter Soldier?” She giggled. “Anywho, I took care of it and helped him out. But yeah, that’s…that’s a pretty basic overview of what I can do.”

“Wow,” was Steve’s brilliant response.

She giggled once again, “You’re too cute.” She hopped off the branch and landed silently on the balls of her feet. Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized that an hour had passed and knew Michael would burn the place down if she wasn’t home soon. “Time to head back to camp,” she told Steve, looking up at him. “Are you and Bucky spending the night? We can snag two more cots if we need too as long as you don’t mind camping out.”

Steve stared out at the land around them, unsure of what he should do. It wasn’t like he and Bucky had a set plan for where to go next. One night in a random village wouldn’t do any harm. Then in the morning, he could go over what to do to get into the compound with Cece and Michael. That, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to part ways yet. His curiosity was winning out and he wanted to learn more about this beautiful woman before him.

_ Beautiful? Where did that come from? _

“Steve?”

He blinked at the mention of his name, focusing back on the present.

“We’ll stay the night.”

She beamed brightly at him and his heart thumped heavily in his chest (yet again). “Excellent!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted to Tumblr @ds-akita-d 
> 
> Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated!


	6. Chapter Five

Steve and Cece walked side by side, back to her hut. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, stars filling the sky, glimpses of the Milky Way here and there. Steve was in awe of the sight. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a sky so clear. He could see the appeal of traveling to remote tribes as she did…if only for this view.

“So,” Cecelia drawled out, interrupting Steve’s inner musings. “Since I shared something about me that you can’t find on Google, can I ask a question and get an honest answer in return?”

Steve let out a snort. “I don’t know, Cece. If I’ve learned anything in the last few years, it’s that the internet is infinite with its knowledge. I bet I could find something somewhere on the elusive Doctor Cecelia Thompson,” he teased, sending her a small smile.

She tried to ignore the flutter of butterflies in her belly at that stupid half smile of his. She had a feeling that he didn’t have any understanding of how deadly that smile of his could be. Take down the fiercest of civilizations, if she had to guess. Hardly fair.

“Hardy har har,” Cece deadpanned, throwing a playful glare over her shoulder. “I doubt that even Tony Stark could dig up mcuh on me. I have friends in high places.” She continued, not wanting to give Steve the chance to question what that meant. “You’re evading my question. I can only take that to mean that you don’t want to answer anything?” She quirked an eyebrow in question at him before facing forward to avoid any rocks or roots on their journey. If there was anything she DIDN’T want to do, it was face-plant in front of the good Captain.

Steve’s expression shifted, turning more serious. He gave a single nod, not that the woman in front of him could see. Or could she? 

“You can ask. It’s just whether or not I’ll answer.”

It was Cece’s turn to snort, looking back so Steve could see the dramatic roll of her eyes. The petite woman spun on her heel before planting herself in front of him, face to face. Well, face to chest, if Steve was being honest.

She looked up at him with her dark green eyes full of curiosity.

“Do you enjoy being Captain America?”

Steve didn’t know what he expected, but that was not it.

“Of course I do,” Steve hears himself automatically answering.

They both knew that was a bullshit answer.

Cecelia, under normal circumstances with a first meeting, would never have asked such a question. But with the time she had spent with Bucky, the image of Steve Rogers versus Captain America didn’t add up. She wanted to know how he was able to reconcile who _he_ was to being a public image. 

A man for children to look up to versus the little punk who was quick to throw the first punch. The guy who sold bonds versus the man who spent years searching for an outlawed master assassin super soldier.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, unsure whether or not she wanted to call him out. After all, she had just met the man and they weren’t familiar enough with each other for that, right? But her natural personality was pushing back on her, telling her to demand the truth. That little imp on her shoulder was going to get her in trouble if she couldn’t keep it under control.

Steve wasn’t going to leave it at that.

“Okay, that was a lie,” he admitted with a sheepish look. “That’s a BS answer most people get, but…in reality,” he shakes his head in disbelief that he was just going to tell this woman how he felt.  “Truth is that..well, it’s complicated.” He shoved his hands into his pockets before looking up at the vibrant sky before him, unable to meet her questioning eyes.

He starts with a sigh, “I don’t think it’s as simple as like or dislike. For one, I enjoy being able to breathe without feeling like my lungs are going to collapse.” He lets out a small laugh, though the memory of it was terrifying. 

“I think that if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have gone through with the experiment. I’ve always had this…will…or fight to do the right thing. Doing the right thing doesn’t mean it’s the easy thing to do…and it’s easier to do it with a healthy, strong body. At the same time, it’s hard not to feel like someone’s property. That’s what I was at the beginning, believe it or not. I was owned by the U.S. government to be a face. They didn’t care that I could go out on the lines. That was the whole purpose of Dr. Erskine’s experiment. To create the perfect soldier. But when he died and someone new took over, I was… basically a showgirl. That part sucked.”

Cece cheekily started humming the tune for ‘Star Spangled Man With a Plan’. 

Steve glared at her, not amused. 

She countered back with a look of innocence, holding her hands up in surrender. “What? I grew up with a family that idolized you. That song would play over the radio all the time growing up.”

Steve could feel his face turning red. “That’s….I was…before your time?”

The woman let out a snort. “Only by two decades. My parents, on the other hand, huge fans of yours.” Michael too, but she wasn’t going to call him out. “They would be incredibly jealous of me if they knew I was meeting _the_ Steve Rogers.”

His ears turned an adorable shade of pink in embarrassment and he fell silent.

Her smile faded into a serious look. “I couldn’t imagine what that was like. Wanting to do what you could to serve your country and then being told you were nothing more than a salesperson, showgirl or whatever.”

Steve gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher before it shifted into something more neutral. “Yeah, it took a pretty dark toll on me for a while, but it wasn’t too long before I proved I had other talents to be put to better use.” He thought back to when he broke into the Hydra compound to save Bucky along with the rest of the 107th. He frowned at the memory of finding his friend beat up and tortured. He shook his head to clear that thought.

“Once they realized that I wasn’t backing down, I was given the go-ahead to take out as many Hydra bases as I could. Haven’t really stopped since.” He paused, his heart aching at a thought. “Though now, it seems my intentions are misplaced because everything I do seems to hurt someone else.”

Cece bit her lip, reflecting on his words. She could see the pain and distress that overtook him…and she didn’t like it. She took a hesitant step towards him, hand reached out. She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to do it. But she saw the sadness and self-loathing in his eyes.

She then didn’t hesitate to place a gentle hand to his cheek, turning his face so he would meet her eye.

“I don’t doubt for a minute that you have the best intentions, Steven.” She paused, a sprinkle of blush covering her cheeks. “As long as you stay true to yourself, that’s all that matters. I have no doubt that things will work out for you.”

 

* * *

After their moment out in the field, Steve was convinced he would never stop blushing around this woman.

With a pat on his cheek and a cheeky smile, Cece skipped on, leading the way back to the village.

She was greeted by an indignant brother.

Michael stood at the entrance to the village with arms crossed, muscles flexed, striving to come off as intimidating. There was a cool glare on his face as he stared the two stragglers down.

Steve was worried Michael was going to attack him.

“You’re late,” Michael directed at his kid sister, completely ignoring the super soldier at her side.

Cece rolled her green eyes and sashayed away from Steve’s side to her brothers. She patted his cheek affectionately before giving it a pinch with a laugh. “You worry too much.”

Michael jerked his head away, scowling down at her. “You also left me to do the dishes. That’s just rude.”

The woman skipped several steps away, paused and gave him a mischievous smirk over her shoulder. “And yet, you still did them.” She spun around in a circle in a whimsical manner before stopping to face her brother again. She leaned forward and placed her hands on her hips and gave him a sassy look. “Besides, what else would I keep you around for, if not to do dishes? Now, we pack!” She threw her hands up in the air, cheering, as if packing was the most exciting thing she could think of.

Steve kept back, watching the siblings bicker with mild interest, amused by their behavior.  

With the night taking over, he was surprised that it had cooled down considerably. He was thankful that with the serum, the chill didn’t bother him. But Cece, he worried-

“She’s pretty great, isn’t she?”

Steve turned his head to look at Bucky, startled by his abrupt appearance. Where did he come from? “Hm?”

Bucky gave Steve a knowing look, elbowing him in the ribs. “I know when you’re interested in a pretty dame, ya punk.”  He sighed happily, turning his attention to the siblings who were still bickering while walking back to their domicile. “I have to say, I ship it.”

Steve’s nose scrunched up in confusion at the choice of words. “You what?”

Bucky’s cheeks turned red, slightly embarrassed. He muttered lowly to himself, “Maybe I didn’t use that word right.” He shook his head to clear that thought and looked at Steve. “I mean, I think you and Cece would make a great couple. She’s a catch.”

The Captain froze, unsure if he heard that correctly.  How was he supposed to react to that?!

His heart kicked up, beating faster than a hummingbird’s wings, blood rushing to his face. He sputtered, looking at Bucky with wide eyes. “I- you- what?! Me with her? Nooo no no. That’s not going to happen. No.”

“Someone’s in denial,” Bucky sang, fluttering his eyelashes at Steve. His expression then turned into one of bemusement “Are you…are you afraid of Michael?” He gasped with a mock accusatory tone. “I mean, sure he acts all tough and scary, but really-”

“No!” Steve interrupted, holding his hands up in defense. He didn’t need anymore teasing. His face couldn’t handle it. “I can’t because-because,” he racked his brain for any excuse, “Because of… Sharon!”

‘Well shit’, Steve internally winced. Why was his mouth working faster than his brain today? First with Cece and now with Bucky. And Sharon? Really?? Steve already knew that wasn’t going anywhere. Nor did he want it to.

Bucky didn’t bother to hold back a snort at the half-assed excuse. “Yeah, that’ll work out great,” he replied with heavy sarcasm. He clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder before steering them in the direction of the quinjet. “Sharon Carter seems like a nice dame, but she’s all wrong for you. For more reasons than one. I’ve heard stories about her, Steve. Some that would…well, I won’t go into it. Just, trust me on this. Stay away from that one. Now, Cece on the other hand,” he trailed off, waiting for the ramp to lower on the jet. “She’s one in a million.” He tilted his head to the side, contemplating for a minute. “Literally.” He chuckled to himself at his own joke that Steve didn’t really understand.

He entered the jet and marched to the spot where their two bags were stored. With excessive ease, he grabbed his own before tossing Steve’s his. “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that we’re spending the night. Cece would throw a fit if we left so soon.”

Steve just nodded, thankful that the topic of “shipping” him and the doctor together was dropped.

 

* * *

It was at times like this that Cece was thankful her and Michael packed light.

It took only twenty minutes to gather all of their supplies and place them into their appropriate boxes for easy access and easy travel.

Just as Cece was closing her last box, Steve and Bucky meandered in with their bags strapped against their backs.

Already, Michael and Bucky had set up the extra cots.

“Well, that’s that.” Cece rubbed her hands on her pants and stood up. “Time for sleep!”

She directed the boys to their pre-assigned beds.

“Okay, overgrown children. We have an early morning tomorrow, so best to be off to bed!” she called, grabbing the spare blankets she had set out. She tossed one to Steve, who easily caught it, and whipped the other one so it smacked Bucky in the face.

Michael snickered, pulling off his shirt before climbing into his cot. “Good throw, sis.”

Cece beamed at him before settling down on her own. “Thanks, broski.” She turned her head to look at Steve. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the Stark compound with us?”

Steve had explained to her what had transpired between him and Tony. Including how Bucky played into it all.

It broke her heart to hear it, but she felt better about going into the situation with eyes wide open.

Steve looked to Bucky who just shrugged indifferently, before turning back to Cece. “I think it’s best if Stark and I keep our distance for now.”

Cece offered the Captain a sympathetic smile. “Very well then.”

 

* * *

At first, Cece wasn’t sure what it was that woke her up from a dead sleep.

It was black all around her. She strained to see the silhouettes of the three soldiers sleeping around her.

The night was completely silent around her. Not even the bugs or critters outside made noise.

Something was wrong.

It wasn’t until she could feel a heavy presence over her shoulder leaning down to whisper in her ear that she realized she was in trouble.

“Rise and shine, bitch.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave feedback! I live off of that!
> 
> You can find this originally posted on Tumblr @ds-akita-d


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